Hawaii [US], September 11: Military commanders of the US and China held a phone conversation with each other, as per information by the US Indo-Pacific command marking the first time in years that the two leaders have engaged in formal conversation.
Commander of US Indo-Pacific Command, Admiral Samuel Paparo, held a video teleconference with General Wu Yanan, the commander of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army’s (PLA) Southern Theatre Command on September 9.
General Wu and Admiral Paparo had a constructive and respectful exchange of views between experienced professionals, a per a White House readout of the call.
The call was a deliverable from the bilateral meeting between President Joe Biden with his Chinese counterpart President Xi Jinping held in November 2023, at which both leaders agreed to resume high-level military-to-military communication between the Department of Defence and the PLA, and to hold conversations between the USINDOPACOM commander and the Chinese military’s theatre commanders.
During the video teleconference, Admiral Paparo underscored the importance of sustained lines of communication between the US military and the Chinese army, noting that such discussions between senior leaders serve to clarify intent and reduce the risk of misperception or miscalculation, as per a statement.
Citing several recent Chinese military’s unsafe interactions with US allies, Admiral Paparo reinforced the PLA’s obligation to comply with international laws and norms to ensure operational safety.
Admiral Paparo also urged the Chinese military “to reconsider its use of dangerous, coercive, and potentially escalatory tactics in the South China Sea and beyond.”
Admiral Paparo expressed hope that this discussion with his Chinese counterpart would be the first of many such conversations and noted the necessity of continued dialogue on issues of concern with General Wu, as well as with counterparts in other Chinese military theatre commands.
During US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan visit to Beijing last month, both US and China announced plans for a call between their military theatre commanders.
Addressing a press conference in Beijing, the US National Security Adviser Sullivan described the Beijing trip as “a true working visit”.
The meeting was part of ongoing efforts to maintain channels of communication and responsibly manage the relationship between the United States and China, the White House said adding that the two sides were planning a call between Biden and Xi “in the coming weeks”.
In his August 29 meeting with General Zhang Youxia, Vice Chairman of the Central Military Commission in Beijing, Sullivan stressed that both countries have a responsibility to prevent competition from veering into conflict or confrontation.
The two sides reaffirmed the importance of regular military-to-military communications as part of efforts to maintain high-level diplomacy and open lines of communication, The White House said.
